Wildlife wing to approach gram panchayats in look out for poachers

The department officials said, they will urge the villagers to assist them in the search of poachers and make announcements that laying traps (kuduki in local dialect) is criminal offence under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Panchkula Wildlife department decided to take up the issue with the gram panchyats of the villages in Morni and Pinjore block. (Representational)

Two days after the death of a rescued leopard, which had lost its right paw in a hunting ground trap, Panchkula Wildlife department decided to take up the issue with the gram panchyats of the villages in Morni and Pinjore block.

The department officials said, they will urge the villagers to assist them in the search of poachers and make announcements that laying traps (kuduki in local dialect) is criminal offence under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The district police have lodged an FIR in the connection with the death of the leopard at PS Chandimandir.

Panchkula Divisional Wildlife Officer, Shyam Sunder Sharma said, “So far, we have not been able to establish the identity of people who had laid the trap, in which the leopard lost its right paw. We are combing adjoining areas of Tikri village, where the leopard was found in a water tank and rescued on May 8. Though an FIR was lodged, the Wildlife department is conducting search on its level.”

On December 4, 2017, a leopardess was injured after getting its paw stuck in a trap laid at Ferozpur village in Ambala, about 49 km from Morni Hills.

Haryana PCCF, Alok Verma said, “Postmortem report of the leopard suggests septicemia was the probable reason behind the death of the big cat. The report specify multiple organ failure due to septicemia. It occurs due to untreated old wounds.”